WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8738, 9 March 1894, Page 2

WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

H> — Thursday, March 8. home mission breakfast. The annual • Home Mission breakfast in connection with the Conference took place at 8 a.m. in the Durham street Schoolroom. Over 200 persons, nearly half of which number were ladies, were preeout. The breakfast was provided by ladies of the City Circuits, and presided over by the Rev. D. MoNiooil. The proceedings were of the usual character, addresses being given by both If dies aud gentlemen. The Rev. S. J. Gibson, who had returned from Fiji, gave an address on missionary work in the Fijian Islands. Addressed were also delivered by Mrs Gibson, the Rev. \V. Gittos and Mr W. Moxham. REPRESENTATIVE SESSION. The Conference resumed in representative session at 10 a.m., the President in the chair, and took up the questions of sales of sites and proposed erection of buildings. Sales were sanctioned as under:—Old church site, Pukekohe, aud section 192, Cambridge west, Auckland district; to lease for twenty-one years section next to Wanganai church facing avenue, Wanganui district; to sell small section and building at Upokongaro; old church at Picton ; old church and site at Waltham ; old church site, Waimate; old site, Linden ; site at Hawke's Bay. The following proposed purchases and erections of buildings were sanctioned: —■ Mahuranga, house, land for parsonage; Hokianga, removal of Maori church from Poenga, subject to now aite being legally secured ; piece of land for church at Wave and church, at Puketawa (Auckland dis-. trict); church at Waipuko, cost £120; church at Feildiug, cost £350; church at Apiti, £120 (Wanganui district); quarter acre.at Karori f«»r church, £150; 2 acres, Carterton, for parsonage; church at Hastings, £750; new site, Levin, and church (Wellington district); ohuroh at Russell's Flat, £90 (Canterbury district); site and brick building, Roslyu ; new parsonage at Milton and at Invcrcargiil; new church at Woodhaugh (Otago district). It was reported that the following buildings were still uninsured :—Leppertou aud HuiraDgi churches, Upokongaro building, Bulls aud Upper District churches, Woodhaugh church and Ettriok church. It was decided that the trustees of the above buildings aud churches be requested to insure at once. The Rev. W. B. Marten presented the report on the church property for the year ending September 30th, 1893. After complaining of the dilatormess of district secretaries in sending schedules to the General Secretary it went on to state that 117 properties were, free from debt and the following circuits reported no trust liabilities :—Mahurangi, Paparoa, Hokianga, Bay of Islands, Whangaroa, Coromandel, Helensville, Wade, Saudon aud Feilding, Otaki, Kumara, Havelock, Lyttelton, Woodend and Amberley, and Roxburgh. The total trust revenue was £16,236 15s B£d, and the increased indebtedness of the fund was £279 17s 6d. The new erections and purchases reported reached a total debt of £1733 19s 9d ; sales bad realised £60 5s 6d. The report was adopted, and the thanks of the Conference accorded to the Secretary and Committee. The Rev. Mr Marten was re-appointed Secretary of the Committee, and the Rev. W. G. Parsonson was designated as bis successor next year. The thanks of the Conference were accorded to the District Secretaries, aud the following appointed for the ensuing year:— Messrs F. A. White, Auckland; J. Stevenson, Wangauui; W. C. Benbow, Wellington ; Jas. Boon, Nelson; R. Dawson, Canterbury ; and J. S. Stephens, Otago, The thanks of the Conference were also accorded to Messrs Ford and Stephens for their services. It was resolved that the Rev,. W. B. Marten and Mr T. Allen bo appointed a Committee to prepare an audit schedule for trast accounts and report to Conference. The Rev. W. Morley, Secretary, submitted the report on church building and loan fund. It stated that the total receipts, inclusive of balance brought forward, were £1985 15s Bd. During the year plans and specifications had been passed and erections j approved as Road Mission , Hall, luvercargtll parsonage, churches at , Pukeatua, Waipuku and Russell's Flat, the ( purchaso of a ohuroh of briok at Roslyn, and j vestries at Tauranga. The purchase of a parsonage at Warkworth had also been ; sanctioned, and conditionally, assent had j been given to the erection of a new uhuroh at Hastings. Attention Was drawn" to trusts which were in arrear, the following , being the most conspicuous oases of failuro : —Durham street and New Brighton (Chriat- j church), Riccarton Village (St. Albans), Marton, Greytown and Milton. In lieu j of the annua! circular asking Bub- ( scriptious from trusts the Committee reoommended that " a request be made directly to all the congregations. That a ( circular, signed by the President and Secretary of the Conference, and setting forth ] the claims and needs of the Fund, be pre- ( pared annually and directed to be read on the last Sunday in August and the first Sunday in September in each church ; that the desirability of help be then explained, ; and all amounts contributed at the collec- ( tions on the first Sunday in September , above the average be devoted to this fund and at once remitted to the Treasurers , thereof." j The report and the Committee's rccom- < mendations were adopted, and it was also ' resolved to apply to defaulting circuits for . the immediate payment of their arrears. ( The cordial thanks of the Conference were , accorded to the Rev. Mr Morley, the Secretary, and : to Mr Harris, General J Treasurer, and the Committee. '. Tho Committee for the ensuing year was j appointed as uhd,er:—General Secretary, Superintendents Durham street, Sydenham, , and St. Albans Circuits, Messrs W. . Harris, . R. W.~ England, G. ft. Black well, and John Orr. ' • , , *-..-. ■■•■•-. \ The Conference adjourned at I p.m. until , 7.30 p.m. ] OPEN-AIB FETE. " I During the afternoon adjournment the ' visiting ministers and laymen, together ' with their lady friends and acquaintances, ] attended at Lancaster Park, where the ( Conference open-air re-union was held. The weather- was fine, and the arrangements j made for the enjoyment of the pleasureBackers were good. That the mem- ' bera of Conference accepted the afternoon ] as one for relaxation after the continuous < duties of session work was evident from the : way they entered into the cricket, bowling ' and tennis matches, in which latter they j were associated with ladies. The Christ- : church circuit supplied afternoon tea, and ] the City Temperance band music. A mile ; bicycle race was won by P. Dunn, with G. H. Letbaby second and „ P. H. Venables '-< third. The cricket match, in which the ( greatest interest was centred, was won by ! the clerical team —which has the fortune of seldom being beaten—by seven wickets and ! 7 runs. The individual scores were as under—• Laymen—W. Birks 38, G. J. Smith 15, J. ' A. Clark 1, G. R. George 16, W. H. Foster i 0, G. H. Biackwell 7, T. Thompson 1, C. S. « Howard 6, A. D. Hassall, J. Rudd and J. l Gott 0, extra 1; total, 85. Ministers—P. ' W. Fairclough 0, H. R. Dewsbury 20, W. .J Baumber 0, A. B. Chapelle 40, J. N. Buttle ' 21, extras II; total for three wickets, 92. * For tho Ministers Mr Chapelle took three J wickets for 52 runs, Mr Peiyroau five for 27, ) and Mr Baumber one for 16. Foster howled * well for the laymen. x KEPJtgSBBTATIVE SESSIOX. ] The Conference resumed at 7.30 p. m., and a took up the report on the Jubilee Thanks- c giving Fund, which was presented by the r Rev. W. Morley. The report stated that c £782 lis lid had been paid on account j promised subscriptiops. The total amount a received from all sources was £8227 i 16s 9d, which included some amounts s which required refunding. The Com- n mittee desired to thank donors to t the fund, and, with a view of carry- L ing out the original proposals of the Jubilee Celebration, the Committee has rj pleasure in recommending that from the f funds in hand, £1000 be appropriated to- fc wards the Home Mission Fund, the same to n be invested, and the interest thereon used - annually for the promotion of aggressive work. The total amount to Trusts-Circuit to date was £2937 6s lGd. The balance sheet showed the year's receipts to have been £3078 7s, and the expenditure £784 Is 7d, leaving a credit of £2294 5s sd, of which £2070 10s lOd was brought forward from v 1892. I On the motion of the Rev. W. IMqkley, '£

! the report, balance-sheet, and Coin_ll_7 recommendations were adopted. U{ *t lb was also decided that a Jubilee V i should be pubtishod by subscription „» T 1 " ' a history of Methodism in the coWS in U the Revs. W, J. Williams, HR&M Messrs W. Harris, and J. L 'S**. ,_J (Auckland), were appointed a Com J Bo * «_ wayß and means. lWe of yjj The thanks of the Conference wen. 1 corded to the Secretary, T_emuier ._ I Committee. The Rev. \V. Morley .L*?? J..C. Prudhoo were ie-appoihteuGuL ii Treasurers, uud the following wore «!««. tuo Committee :—The Prosiddut and S_w tary of Couieronce, Superintendents oft_ Durham street, St. Alb;*ns, Sydenham Kuiapoi circuits, the Hon. J, X V e ££r Messrs W. Harris, J. C. Prudhoe R it* son, J. T. Smith, E. 0. Brow,' On* Black well, John Orr, J. S. Oiliver w v? Peryir.au, \V. Moor, T. Wilson, It A'Cw' O. E. Salter, J. Broughion, T, 8. AtS» W. J. Rudd, and the General B* c £tX ' The Sgokktaky road the report ohifc counuxional tuuds balance-sheets ,__«s va, adopted. ' * W * b The Rev. W. Leo presumed the balanw, sheet of the supernumerary fu_d J_\;j* showed that tho receipts had been''£___* Bs, and the expenditure the same. H moved tho adoptiou of tho balance-ebear* which was agreed to. c » The tbnuks of the Conference were* corded to the Rev. W. Lee and M* ** Buddie for their services as the Rev. 1). McNicoll aud Mr Buddlel]?* elected for 1894. w *•? Tho Rev. J. J. La wis submitted _,« balance sheet of the ChiUlien's Fund, h showed thf> receipts to havo hecn £172_14» 7d, and thu expenditure £1836 18a 3d leaviug a debit balance of £114 3s fid... W' debit balance brought forward was £584 jo! 3d, aud it wt»a anticipated that a levyof l?l per cent, next year would bring the income up to the expenditure. ™ Tho balance sheet was adopted, T_ e thunks of t!io Conference were uncorded to the Rev. J. J. Lewis and Mr J. H. HeILU well, treasurers, and the Rev. W. aud Mr J. H. Helliwell wero elected tre* surers for tho year 1894. T The Committee's leoommomlationpf 171 per oout. assessment was agreed to. The Rev. W. Bamubor submitted the balance-sheet of the contingent fund,, Th» iiacomo had been £1093 lQa 6d, and tj, 6 „ pendititro £675 14a 3d, leaving a UU& c . 6 f £417 16s 3d to moet Conforonoe oxpeate graut to Counexioual Secretary's ot_jo|iKQd some expenses in connection Wrtjrtu approaching Geueral Conference. '." The balance-sheet was adopted,. On tho motion of tho Rev. VV. lUtjhbek tho Committee waa empowered to borrow not moro than £300 from tho jubilee fund during the current year ac the current rati! of interest. The thanks of tho Conference were accorded to the Treasurers, and the Rev. B. R. Dowsbury aud Mr W. ■ ___rrls were elected for the ensuing year. The Committee of last year was re-appointed. The request from tho Opunuke circuit for a grant ot £7 from the contingent fund for the children's fund, was negatived, Tho Board of Examiners rooomnumdtd that £5 be allocated from the contingent fund as a prize for Hebrow. Tho proposal was carried by the casting yoto of the Chairman after two divisions. On the motion of tho Roy. VV". J. Wife. liams, seconded by tho Roy. 11. Butt, H was resolved—" That this Conference hsv. ing been informed of tho death of the Rev. J. C. Symous, of Victoria, for many yetri Acting Treasurer of tho supernumerary fund, hereby expresses its sense of regret At the loss which the Connexion has thereby sustained, und its gratitude for the valuable services whioh Mr Symonds rendered to Australasian Methodism, and partloulwly to this fund." At 9.35 p.m,, the Conference adjourned until 9.30 a.m. today.